Beauty Product Premiumization: Problematic Or Pivotal To Level The Playing Field For Emerging Brands?

A recent article in The New York Times headlined “Is the Entire Economy Gentrifying?” delved into the “premiumization” of everything from Krispy Kreme donuts to WD-40. The beauty industry is no exception. “Premiumization” has...

With Traditional PR Tough, What Awareness Strategies Are Indie Beauty Brands Pursuing?

The idea for the latest edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty comes from Margarita Arriagada, founder of the luxury beauty brand Valdé and former chief merchant at Sephora. As she’s...

Will Beauty And Wellness Increasingly Put Community At The Center?

During organization CEW’s State of the Beauty Industry event last month, Sarah Jindal, senior director of beauty and personal care at market research firm Mintel, spoke about the concept of “self-care” evolving to “community care”...

Facing Higher Costs, Some Brands Are Making Changes To Shipping Charges

Feather & Bone’s shipping costs have surged 20% to 40% over last two years. While the skincare brand known for Face Gems cleansers priced from $8.99 to $30 has kept a relatively low threshold of $20 for free shipping on its...

Realistic First-Year Sales Expectations For Indie Beauty Brands

In its coverage of Neon Hippie, the publication Women’s Wear Daily reported the new mushroom-powered brand forecasts it could reach $40 million in first-year sales. The brand, which has seven products priced from $25 to $125,...

Should Trade Publications Receive Free Products From Beauty Brands?

In 2017, the now-defunct publication Racked measured the amount of beauty and fashion swag it received from brands during a 6-month period. It calculated that its editors accumulated nearly 3,000 items, including 2,350 beauty products, worth almost...